Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Baldur's Gate 3 are very different RPGs, but their bombshell success stories are eerily similar. "We never intended for all these awards," said Sandfall art director Nicholas Maxson Francombe moments after the game was crowned Ultimate Game Of The Year at The Golden Joysticks 2025, echoing the shock of Larian lead Swen Vincke's Game of the Year acceptance speech at The Game Awards 2023. "We just wanted to make a game that we liked and thought other players would enjoy."
That player-centric mindset might be one key ingredient in its secret sauce, but much like how Baldur's Gate 3's meticulously crafted D&D experience was a true labor of love, I'd argue it's all about passion.
